Shedeur Sanders is fighting for the starting quarterback job with the Cleveland Browns alongside Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel
12:12 ET, 12 Jun 2026Updated 12:19 ET, 12 Jun 2026
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BEREA, OHIO - APRIL 21: Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Cleveland Browns walks off the field after a voluntary veteran minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on April 21, 2026 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
A brutal moment from Shedeur Sanders' practice session with the Cleveland Browns went viral Thursday, and while it's an embarrassing moment to watch back, it actually highlights a very real issue the quarterback is still having, something which should concern fans.
Sanders is in his second year with the team, starting at quarterback for the final nine games of the 2025 season after fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel struggled while Deshaun Watson was out for the season with an injury.
Watson is now back in practice, with new head coach Todd Monken holding an open competition between the three for the starting role. Monken recently admitted he was not happy with how all three had been performing in practice as they implement their new offensive scheme.
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In the clip shared, Sanders runs a play-action pass, holding the ball and looking for a wide receiver. He takes five seconds before throwing a short pass over the middle, which hit the hand of defensive lineman Mike Hall Jr, who was not even attempting to rush the passer, essentially giving up on the play so that Sanders could complete the pass.
Somehow, Sanders did not see Hall Jr's hand in the air, hitting him as he batted it down.
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The Browns have cameras on their quarterbacks helmets to look back at what they see in practice
While the clip was embarrassing for Sanders, it actually highlighted a big area of weakness for the quarterback — he still holds the ball for far too long.
This is believed to be one of the reasons that Sanders fell in the draft, taking too long to pull the trigger at times.
In college football, quarterbacks typically have more time to wait in the pocket for a receiver to become open. In the NFL, quarterbacks are expected to find a receiver who will become open as the ball is thrown, with the QB needing to read the defense and anticipate the receiver finding an opening.
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On the aforementioned play, Sanders appears to have a wide receiver open on a corner route — something Monken will expect him to hit.
Sanders simply cannot afford to hold the ball for more than four seconds.
Extended time in the pocket drastically increases the likelihood of a negative play from the offense, with 77% of all sacks occurring when quarterbacks hold the ball for more than four seconds.
The average time for a quarterback from the snap to release the ball is 2.7 seconds, with Sanders averaging out at 3.4 seconds last season.
His numbers were not too impressive, having thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in his rookie year.
This, coming after Monken had been unhappy with the quarterbacks failing to complete passes on seven-vs-seven drills - where quarterbacks look to get the ball to receivers against defensive backs and linebackers with no pass-rushers to face.
He said: "We threw interceptions in seven-on-seven, for God’s sake. I mean, who does that? There’s no pass rush. I mean, it’s embarrassing."
Having said that, Monken had spoken glowingly on Sanders in the days prior, believing to have made improvements in the offseason,
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The new Browns head coach said: "Shedeur's come miles, in terms of his progressions, getting the ball out, his understanding of concepts. I think he's really, really come a long way."